Apparatus for cooling brew



April 1939- M. BRUCE 2,155,399

APPARATUS FOR coomue BREW FiledrNov. 8, 1957 2 SheetsSheet 1 INVENTOR v ffllm M. Brace ATTOR N EY April 25, 1939. J BRUCE 2,155,399

APPARATUS FOR cooune BREW Filed Nov. 8, 193'? 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 25, 1939 UNITED] STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to method and apparatus for cooling and dispensing brew, and more particularly to an improved brew-cooling and dispensing method and installation which permits cooling of the brew within the brewers transportation container and the dispensing of the brew directly therefrom in a highly sanitary,

economical and eflicient manner.

In accordance with this invention, the transportation barrel as received from the brewer is positioned within a heat-insulated cabinet or .chamber which may be positioned under the bar or directly under the floor of the bar premises. the cabinet being so constructed and arranged as to contain one or more brewers barrels therein. Refrigerating means are associated with the cabinet to maintain the atmosphere within the cabinet within the desired cooling range of 10 F. to F. The refrigerating means may com-" prise cooling coils positioned within the cabinet and preferably adjacent the bottom wall thereof. which is supplied with a cooling medium by means of a suitable motor drive pump or com pressor. Thermo-electric means may be pro.- vided for automatically controlling the flow of the cooling liquid through the cooling coils. A supply of coolingliquid is provided, which may be held in the cabinet in a pool which may be in cooling contact with the cooling coils at-the bottom of the cabinet. Any desired number of cooling towers are also positioned within the cabinet, which may comprise tubular cooling members formed from sheet metal substantially vertically arranged within the cabinet. A spray of cooling liquid, kept in circulation by a suitablemotor driven pump, is drawn from the pool of cooling liquid within the cabinet and is projected in a whirling movement downwardly through each tubular cooling member. This whirling spray of cooling liquid operates to cause a movement of cold spray-laden air downwardly through each tubular cooling member to escape through a suitable port adjacent the lower end of the tubular cooling member and thence to arise upwardly to contact with the container walls. The cooling liquid-laden air moves upwardly around the barrel walls with considerable velocity, which velocity greatly increases the normal moisture-carrying capacity of the air. The combined action of the air and cooling liquid coming into contact with the barrel walls serves to break down the heat-insulating effectiveness of the barrel walls and permits a rapid heat exchange between the brew in the barrel and the cold atmosphere surrounding the exterior of the barrel. S uitable thermo-electric means may be provided for automatically regulating the flow of spray into the cooling tower and consequently the movement of the cold spray-laden air around the'barrel walls.

With my improved apparatus the temperature 5 of the brew in the barrel can be brought down to a potable temperature at the rate suitable for commercial purposes. In this connection, itwill be realized that under normal conditions'the brew in the brewers transportation barrel is delivered to the dispensing merchant at approximately the desired dispensing temperature range, and if the brew barrel is promptly positioned within the cooling cabinet the main burden placed upon the cooling apparatus is to maintain the 15 brew at this desired temperature range or, at most, to bring the temperature of thebrew down a relatively few degrees only. If brew at any time rises above approximately 60 F., spoilage and deterioration thereof results due to thepresence of certain bacteria in the brew which rapidly multiply above this temperature. Such brew should not be dispensed nor used for human con- 'sumption. I

An object of this invention is to provide an 2 improved brew-dispensing and cooling installation which is substantially automatic in operation, which operates to efllciently and economically bring down the brew in the dispensing container to, and maintain it within, the desired 30 predetermined dispensing temperature rang Another object of my invention is to provide a brew-dispensing installation which permits dispensing of the brew directly from the brewers transportation barrel in a highly sanitary and healthful condition, means being provided for breaking down the insulating eifectiveness of the container walls and cooling the brew in such container to, and maintain it within, a predetermined dispensing temperature range. 0

.Another object of this invention is to provide an improved method for cooling and maintaining brew in a brewers transportation container at a healthful and zestful temperature range.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for cooling brew and dispensing the brew economically, efflciently, at low cost, and in a sanitary and healthful man- I through the cooling apparatus and the moisture-laden air cirsheeting 8, preferably of metal,

which is preferably Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention will be parand for circulating moisture-laden air around the) brew barrel, this view being taken at line I--l of Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view cooling cabinet showing the cabinet culating apparatus, this view being taken at line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view showing one form of spray head which may bFe; used, this view being taken along line 3-3 of Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views-of the drawings and the specification;

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, my brew-dispensing system includes an insulated refrigerated cabinet within which one or more brewers transportation barrels may be contained. For ease in illustration, I have shown a cabinet containing but one brewers barrel, but it will be understood that the cabinet may be so constructed as to contain a plurality of brewers barrelsr The cabinet may be positioned either directly below the bar table I5, or in a room or chamber below the barroom floor. The refrigerating cabinet may be of any suitable size or form to conveniently house the required number of brewers barrels b, the cabinet comprising a front a top wall insulated and reenforced to provide an efiectively insulated, sturdy construction. More particularly, each of the surrounding walls may comprise an outer sheeting 1 spaced from an inner between which is positioned an insulating material 9. The cabinet is provided III in the front wall I thereof for the convenient insertion and removal of the barrel 1). The door opening is closed by means of a suitably insulated door ll having a sealing flange 12 which main tains the cold atmosphere within the cabinet. The cabinet is shown in Fig. 1 as positioned directly under the bar table I! with the back wall 2 or the cabinet positioned adjacent the front wall It of the bar, the bar table being provided with suitable end walls, II. It will be appreciated, however, that the refrigerating cabinet can be positioned directly under the bar floor, which is often desirable in large brew-dispensing establishments.

The brew barrel b, as shown in Fig. 1, is preferably spaced a convenient distance above the bottom wall 3 of the cabinet, the brewbarrel being supported on a suitable rack member which, if desired, may be made 'of metal and comprises side rails 23 which rest directly on floor 3, the rails 23 being connected by a perforated brew barrel-supporting platform 2|, inclined somewhat towards the cabinet door ii and tap to permit drainage of the cooling liquid.

' whose shaft cooling the interior of the cabinet wheel 36 in a downwardly extending conduit section with a suitable door openingthe cabinet A pool of cooling liquid 10 is stored in the bottom of the cabinet, the bottom wall 3, the front wall I, the rear wall 2, and the end walls 5 and 6 being suitably caulked to prevent-the escape of The pool of coolingliquid w is circulated at predetermined intervals through a spray system by means of a pump 30 having an inlet 3| positioned at one end of the cabinet. The pump 30 is driven by a suitable motor 32 fixed to a drive shaft v through the cabinet wall 8 and serves to rotate the pump. It will be noted'that the motor and its associated driving mechanism is positioned entirely outside of the cabinet and may be contained within a suitable housing 38, so that this equipment is not affected by the moist, cold atmosphere within the cabinet.

The pump 30 is provided with an outlet port 40 connected to a vertically extending conduit 4|, which conduit is coupled to a pair of laterally extending conduit arms 42 and 43, and is further connected to a supply conduit M which supplies the cooling liquid to laterally extending conduit with a 4 pulley arms 45 and it, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Each terminates 41,- which conduit sections terminate in a spray head 62, 43, 45 and 46 68. It will be noted that a spray head is is positioned in each of the four corners of the cabinet, the spray heads extending into the upper end of a tubular sheet metal cooling tower as. It will be noted that the upper end Bil of each tubular cooling tower 59 is open and spaced at distance below the top wall 1 of the cabinet, and the lower end 5! of each cooling tower is also open and spaced at distance above the top surface of the pool of cooling liquid 117 at the bottom of the cab-- inet.

As shown more particularly in Fig. 3, each spray head it connected to the downwardly extending pipe sections 41 is provided with spray openings or nozzles 52 which are so designed as to project a whirling spray of cooling liquid downwardly through the cooling tower 49 into which ltprojects. The whirling character of thespray is more particularly illustrated in Fig. 1.

-The coolin spray preferably comprises a cooling of cooling liquid projected down through each of the towers causes a movement of air down through each tower which moves at considerable velocity and which becomes thoroughly saturated with the mist-like spray of cooling liquid with which it comes into contact. As illustrated by the arrows in Fig. 1, the moisture-laden air expelled from the bottom end SI of each coolin tower passes over and around the side walls of the brewers so deposits cold cooling liquid with which it is laden on and around the side walls and top and bottom walls of the barrel. Due to the whirling action of the spray of cooling liquid in each of the towers, the moisture-laden air is given a substantial velocity, which velocity; greatly increases the moisture-transporting capacity of the upwardly moving air current The air is kept cold by the cold cooling liquid ahd by the low tembarrels b to be cooled, and in do ing perature to which the interior of the cabinet has been reduced, so that both the -cold air moving around the barrel walls and the cold hquid de posited on the barrel walls contribute to cool and soak thebarrel walls, reducing the heat-insulat- 7 ing capacity of the barrel walls and thus quickly thereof is greatly reduced permitting rapid coolcool the brew. contained therein. While the side and end walls of the barrel are usually made of insulating material, such as wood, it will be appreclated that when the side walls become soaked by the moisture in theair, the insulating capacity ing of the brew within the barrel to the desired potable temperature. Brew barrels are generally made of wood and such barrels become leaky if the-side and end walls thereof are permitted to dry out, causing the wood to shrink. If the side and end walls of the barrels are kept moist, how- I ever, the life of the barrel is greatly increased.

It will be consequently appreciated that the cooling system as herein disclosed further contributes to preserve and increase the useful life of the barrel.

It is desirable to maintain the temperature of the cooling hquid w as well as the atmosphere within the cabinet several degrees below the drinking temperature of the brew within the barrel, which experts suggest should be approximately 42 F. The temperature of the atmosphere as well as the cooling liquid w within the cabinet is kept within a temperature range of between 10 F. 'to 40 F. This temperature is maintained by the provision of serpentine cooling coils S immersed inthe pool of cooling hquid adjacent the bottom wall 3 of the cabinet. 'I'he cooling coils 80 may be supplied with a well-known cooling refrigerant, such as ammonia or methyl chloride (CHaCl), delivered to the coohng coils 60 under pressure. The refrigerant may be delivered to the coohng coils N from the compres sor 6| through the supply conduit 82in a substa'ntially liquid state. As the hquid refrigerant passes through the cooling coils 60, it expands into a gas, which conversion requires heat which is extracted from the surrounding coohng liquid w. The refrigerant gas is carried back to the compressor 6| through the return conduit 03, where it is again compressed by'the compressor 6| to a hquid state. The compressor 6| may be of any desired construction, having associated therewith a suitable driving motor and powertransmitting mechanism which may be contained within and protected by a box enclosure 64. It will be understood that suitable control means may be provided'to throw the compressor-driving motor into and out of operation, which means may comprises thermal regulator and switch which closes the motor circuit when the temperature of the cooling hquid w, rises above a predetermined temperature, and which mechanism operates to open the motor switch and halt the motor when the temperature of the coohng liquid 10 drops below a predetermined temperature.

The brew is drawn from the barrel through a substantially vertically extending draft tube ll provided with a suitable faucet connection II secured to the upper end thereof, which faucet connection may extend above the bar table II. The draft tube," may be covered with suitable insulation l2, so. that the brew standing'in or drawn through the draft tube It does not appreciably change in temperaturewhile standing in or being drawn through the drafttube. The lower end of the draft tube II is connected to the lower end of the barrel by means of a suitable elbow connection. A thermo-electric switch operated by changes in temperature of the brew which flows through the draft tube 10 and its associated elbow connection, may be provided. whicliris housed within an insulated housing 13. The particular construction of the thermo-electric switch and elbow connection contained withinthe insulated housing 13 forms no part of this invention and, therefore, need not be particularly described. It may be stated, however, that the thermo-electric switch within the insulated housing 13 is connected to a switch in the electrical circuit supplying electrical current to the. motor 32. In operation the thermo-electric switch closes the motor switch when the temperature of the brew flowing through the draft tube 10 rises above a. predetermined temperature of, say, 42 F., thereby throwing the motor .intooperation, which drives the pump 30, which in turn circulates the coohng liquid through the conduit system connected thereto and causes the projection of a cooling spray downwardly through the cooling towers 49. when the temperature of the brew in the draft tube 10 falls below the desired potable temperature of, say, F., the thermo-electric switch opens the motor circuit, which will halt the flow of el'ectriccurrent to the motor and, consequently, stop the motor and halt the projection of the coohng spray from the nozzlm 48.

,It will be noted that the brew barrel-supporting table 2| is perforated by apertures 80, which permits the "cooling hquid dripping from the barrel b to drop through the brew-supporting platform 2| into the pool of liquid therebelow. The platfornf 2|, however, serves to collect any waste material such as wrappers or labels applied to the It is now seen that I have provided a brewcooling apparatus comprising a refrigerated cab- The brew barrel may comprise the usual brewers transportation'barrel, free from coils or other obstructions on the interior thereof which would interfere withthe proper pitching and cleaning of the barrel. A refrigerating unit is associated with the cabinet whereby the interior of the cabinet may be kept within the desired temperature range, suitable thermo-electric control apparatus being provided to throw the compressor driving motor into and out of operation, with a corresponding predetermined rise orfall of temperature within thecabinet. The end and side walls of the brew barrel are kept constantly soaked and moist and the heat-insulating effectiveness of the barrel walls is, greatly reduced both by the coohng liquid and by the movingcold air, thus permittinga rapid penetration of the cold atmosphere inthe cabinet through the insulated end and side walls of the barrel so as to cool the brew thereln'to the desired potable temperature. ,Thus it c be seen that in the brew-cooling system here h sclosed, cooling of J inet within which the brew barrel is positioned.

' have been disclosed and are the brew is eifected by the combined cooling forces of a rapidly moving cold air and cooling liquid.

It will be appreciated that gas pressure may be applied to the brew within the transportation container to drive the brew up through the draft tube 10 and out through the tap ll. Such gas may either comprise clean 'air or carbon dioxide gas, as desired. Due to the fact that the dispensing tube 10 is relatively short and is free from abrupt turns, the brew can be drawn from the tap 1| substantially without agitation so as to produce arelatively thin and creamy foam collar in the glass of brew drawn from the tap. Electrical controls are provided so as to maintain the temperature of the atmosphere within the cabinet within the predetermined temperature range best designed to effect cooling of the brew within the transportation barrel and the maintenance of the brew within the transportation-barrel at the proper potable temperature. Thermo-electric control means are also provided for controlling the projection of the spray of cold liquid and the movement of the cold the walls of the transportation barrel. Thus the cooling and refrigerating system only operates when further cooling of the brew drawn from the dispensing apparatus is desired.

The-apparatus herein described is not expensive to construct and can be quickly and easily installed. The entire mechanism is assembled together in a compact unit and occupies a minimum of space in the premises where it is installed. The apparatus is so constructed as to permit regular and periodic cleaning and sterilization of the brew-dispensing 'apparatus with which the brew comes into contact, which can be easily and quickly detached from zation of the dispensing apparatus irrespective of the amount of brew in the barrel and without inconvenience to the brew-dispensing merchant. The installation is substantially foolproof and automatic in operation and requires little or no attention, except for the periodic cleaning and sterilization of the dispensing apparatus associated therewith.

While certain novel features of the invention pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes may be made by those skilled in'the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A brew-dispensing installation including, an insulated cabinet adapted to accommodate a brew transportation barrel therein, means for supporting a brew barrel in dispensing position within saidcabinet, a receptacle for cooling liquid in said cabinet, refrigerating means including a cooling element operative to cool a liquid in said receptacle, means for saturating air in said cabinet with said liquid and effecting a circulation of the liquid-laden air around the transportation barrel to bring the brew in the barrel to, and maintain it within, a predetermined dispensing temperature range.

2. A brew-dispensing installation including, a

heat-insulated chamber adapted to accommodate a brew transportation container therein, a cooling member, means for spraying a cold liquid through said member and upwardly around and heat-insulated chamber adapted to a brew transportation container therein, a tubu- "heat-insulated cabinet adapted spray-laden air around I the brewers barrel at any time to permit cleaning and sterili- -adjacent the lower said member having a wall operative to guide the cold spray of cooling liquid in cooling contact with the walls of the container. 3. A brew-dispensing installation including, a acommodate lar cooling member having open ends positioned within said chamber, and means for projecting a spray of cold liquid into one end of said tubular member to cause a movement of cold spray-laden air into cooling contact with the container.

4. A brew-dispensing installation including, a

a brew container therein, a tubular cooling member having open ends arranged in substantially vertically extending position within said cabinet. and means for projecting a spray of cold liquid into the upper end of said tubular member to cause a movement of cold spray-laden air downwardly through said tubular cooling member, out throughthe lower end thereof and in upwardly moving contact with the container.

' 5. A brew-dispensing installation including, a chamber adapted to accommodate a brew container therein, refrigerating means within said chamber, a tubular cooling member having an thereof, means for projecting a spray of cooling liquid through said inlet and into said tubular member, said tubular member having an outlet at the other end thereof through which cold spray-laden air may escape and move into cooling contact with the container walls.

6. A brew-dispensing installation including, a heat-insulated cabinet .adapted to accommodate a brewer-'s container therein, a tubular coolin member arranged in substantially vertically extending position within-said cabinetmeans for projecting a spray of cooling liquid into said cooling member, said cooling member having an outlet .adjacent the lower end thereof through which coldspray-laden air may escape and move into cooling contact with the container walls.

'7, A brew-dispensing installation including, a heat-insulated cabinet adapted to accommodate a container for brew therein, a tubular cooling member substantially vertically positioned within said cabinet having an air inlet adjacent the upper end thereof and an outlet adjacent the lower end thereof, and means for projecting a spray of cooling liquid downwardly through said to accommodate tubular cooling member whereby to cause a stream I heat-insulated cabinet adapted to accommodate a container for brew therein, a plurality of tubular cooling members substantially vertically positioned within said cabinet, each having an air inlet adjacent the upper end thereof and an outlet end thereof, and means for projecting a spray of cooling liquid downwardly through each of said tubular members whereby to cause a movement of cold spray-laden air through the outlet and into cooling contact with the walls of said container.

9. A bre -dispensing installation including, a

from, said outlet.

heat-insulated cabinet adapted to accommodate a container for brew therein, refrigerating means positioned within said cabinet, a receptacle for cooling liquid, refrigerating means having a cooling element extending into said receptacle for cooling the liquid therein, a tubular cooling member, means for projecting a spray of cooling liquid drawn from said receptacle through said cooling member, said cooling member having an outlet opening through which a stream of cold sprayladen air may escape and move into cooling con tact with the walls of the container.

10. A brew-dispensing installation including, a heat-insulated cabinet adapted to, accommodate a brew transportation container of the type having heat-insulated walls, refrigerating means positioned within said cabinet, means for supplying cooling liquid, a tubular cooling member vertically positioned within said cabinet, and means for projecting .a spray of cooling liquid downwardly through said tubular member whereby to cause a stream of cold spray-laden air to escape from the inner end of said member and move into contact with the transportation container whereby said air and moisture operate to break down the insulating effectiveness of the container walls to bring down the temperature of the brew in the container to, and to maintain it within, a predetermined dispensing temperature range.

11. A brew-dispensing installation including, a heat-insulated cabinet adapted to accommodate a brew transportation container of the type having heat-insulated walls, refrigerating means positioned within said cabinet, means for supplying cooling liquid, a plurality of tubular cooling members substantially vertically positioned within said cabinet, each of said cooling members having an air inlet adjacent the upper end thereof and an outlet adjacent the lower end thereof, and means for projecting a spray of cooling liquid downwardly through each of said tubular members whereby to cause a movement of cold spray-laden air through said outlet and into contact with the walls of the container so as to break down the heat-insulating effectiveness of the container walls and bring the brew in the container to, and maintain it within, a predetermined dispensing temperature range.

12. A brew-dispensing installation including, a heat-insulated cabinet adapted to accommodate a brew transportation container of the type having heat-insulated walls, a receptacle for. cooling liquid, refrigerating means having an element extending into said receptacle for cooling the liquid container in said receptacle, a plurality of tubular cooling members substantially vertically positioned within said cabinet, each of Said cooling members having an air inlet adjacent the upper end thereof and an outlet adjacent the lower end thereof, and means for projecting a spray of cooling liquid downwardly through each of said tubular members whereby to cause a stream of cold spray-laden air to move Outwardly through said outlet and upwardly into contact with the walls of the container so as to break down the insulating efiectiveness of-the container walls and bring the brew in the container to, and maintain it within, a predetermined dispensing temperature range.

5 13. The method of cooling brew which consists in setting up in dispensing position a transportation container for the brew, and cooling the brew in the container by projecting a downwardly directed confined spray of cooling liquid in proximity to the container to establish a difierential of atmospheric pressure at the opposite ends oi! the container whereby an upward movement of cooling liquid saturated atmosphere around the container body is efiected.

14. The method of cooling' brew which consists in setting up in dispensing position a transportation container for brew, cooling the brew in the container by moving a current of cold moisture-saturatedair in an upward direction around said barrel walls, and eflecting said upward movement of moisture-laden air around the container by projecting adownwardly directed spray of cooling liquid. under confined conditions so as to eflect a pressure differential at points adjacent the opposite ends of the container.

15. The method of cooling and dispensing brew which consists in setting up in dispensing position a transportation container for brew, cooling the brew in the container by projecting a downwardly directed whirling spray of cooling liquid under confined conditions whereby to cause a pressure diflerential at points adjacent to the opposite ends of the container whereby an upwardly moving stream of cold liquid saturated air enveloping the container body is efl'ected, and controlling the spraying of the cooling liquid by the temperature of the brew in the container.

16. The method of cooling and dispensing brew which consists in setting up in dispensing position a transportation container for brew, cooling the brew in the container by projecting a downwardly directed whirling spray of cooling liquid under confined conditions whereby to cause a pressure diflerential at points adjacent to the opposite ends of the container whereby an upwardly moving stream 01' cold liquid saturated air enveloping the container body is effected, collecting the cooling liquid released from the saturated air and recooling the same for reuse.

17. A brew dispensing installation including, a cabinet of a size adapted to conveniently accommodate a brew transportation container, a; receptacle for cooling liquid, mechanism inclu'ding spray means and a spray confining element for saturating the air in said cabinet and effecting a circulation of the liquid laden air around the transportation container, means for conducting cooling liquid from said receptacle to said spray means, and means for recooling the sprayed cooling liquid to place it in condition for reuse.

JOHN M. BRUCE. 

